# Date: 1904-02-08

The letter from Yu. O. Martov below to the foreign representative of the C.C. from February 8 directly follows his letter of January 14 (above, document 174, p. 301). The letter constitutes documentary proof of how the editorial board, having obtained a majority in the Soviet, openly made it an instrument of its policy of seizing party leadership and directly suppressing the C.C.

**176.**
**YU. O. MARTOV — F. V. LENGNIK.**

**II [1904. Geneva].**

Esteemed Comrade!

The Editorial Board of the C.O. expresses extreme astonishment that you have thus far not deigned to fulfill its expressed desire to receive 400 copies each of issues 56 and 57 of *Iskra* and certain other party publications. Elementary courtesy—binding upon all—would require that you at least inform the Editorial Board why its desire, the satisfaction of which is, according to the precise meaning of the Party Soviet's resolution, obligatory for you, remains thus far unfulfilled. Not for a moment entertaining the thought that a member of the C.C. could imagine he might evade responsibility through silence for resistance to the decisions of the Party's supreme body, we urgently request that you no later than 12 o'clock noon on February 11 (Thursday) deliver the literature to us or else frankly and honestly declare your refusal to obey the Soviet. If the literature has not been delivered by 12 o'clock noon on February 11, the Editorial Board will consider that the Central Committee, contrary to the Soviet's decision, refuses to deliver literature to it, and will inform all Party bodies of this fact.

L. Martov.